Fair Track

August 28, 1993

That $3 ticket to the Maryland State Fair also gives fair-goers an exceptional bonus: admission to the Timonium race track on the grounds. For the next 10 days, Marylanders will watch thoroughbred racing the way it was meant to be seen.

The old county fairs always had a racing component. Timonium is the last vestige of that tradition in Maryland. The track is small (a half-mile circuit) and cozy. The grandstand is on top of the racing surface. Those in the stands get an unparalleled view of the entire race. You don't need binoculars.

Timonium is the little guy's track. Gamblers hate the place, leaving plenty of room for amateur horse-players. Big-league trainers don't like the modest purses, leaving the field to local trainers with one or two horses in their stables. It's a great way to stretch your entertainment dollar and witness a Maryland tradition -- the sport of kings.